Review of MUD Game Programming (Game Development) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

When I read Ron Penton's first book, Data Structures for Game Programming, I couldn't wait to see what he did next. MUD Game Programming lived up to all of my expectations, and indeed surpassed them.

The author has an extraordinary knack for making complex topics understandable -- and, equally important, making them interesting. Reading MUD Game Programming is like having a friendly, cheerful expert sitting down next to you and showing you the tricks of the trade. Instead of just telling you what to do, he explains the thinking behind the decisions that go into the design of a complex program such as a MUD server, enabling you to make the decisions that are right for your own project, which might not be the same. You end up with not just knowledge but understanding.

I highly recommend MUD Game Programming to people doing any type of network-based multiplayer programming, not just traditional MUDs. I'd give this book six stars if they'd let me.

Product Description
MUD applies to the genre of games that are designed to be multi-player communities. To create todays ultra-popular MMORPG's, a solid background in MUD programming is necessary. "MUD Game Programming" teaches you everything you need to know about the protocols needed and concepts used for all sorts of multi-user-dungeon games. While this book is aimed at those who want to learn the basics of client-server based "dungeon" games, it is not limited specifically to a medieval theme. It includes coverage of basic networking, layered protocol format for the internet, text MUD concepts, graphical MUD concepts, and more.

About the Author
Ron Penton is an independent programmer with a primary interest in computer games.He began using GW-BASIC in 1989, moved on to Visual Basic 4 in 1995, QBasic in 1996, and learned C++ in 1997.Ron began working on his degree in 1998 at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and is working on completing his Bachelors in Computer Science at the University of Buffalo. Ron contributed a chapter in the book titled "Game Programming All in One" published by Premier Press.

Click Here to see more reviews about: MUD Game Programming (Game Development) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)